Two stories of committment in a row. First, Major Walsh (previous post) and now SSG Caldwell.

Injuries Don't Deter Soldier's Committment

Written by 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd BCT, 4th ID<...>Caldwell was on patrol with his platoon when they surprised a group of
terrorists preparing to attack a nearby check point. The Soldiers came
under intense automatic weapons fire from both sides of the road at
ranges as close as five meters.

As the senior scout, Caldwell proceeded in re-directing his Soldiers to
engaging the source of the fire. During the battle, Caldwell was shot
through both forearms. He continued to fight through the ambush as the
platoon maintained suppressing fire, destroying many of the enemy
forces, and allowing Caldwell to be evacuated to FOB Falcon.

Later in the day, after he was transported by air to the 10th Combat
Support Hospital in Baghdad, Lt. Col. James Love, commander, 1-10 Cav,
Capt. Jon Bodenhamer, commander, Troop A, and members of his platoon
visited Caldwell following surgery. Though groggy from the anesthesia,
like all good scouts, he remained alert.

After relating the experience to Love, Caldwell simply said, “Sir, I
was supposed to re-enlist today. I want to re-enlist before I leave.”...

This is pretty damn amazing - file under "Where Do We Find Such Men?" I'll post the whole the story of SSG Caldwell in the Extended Section:

10TH COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL, Baghdad--Soldiers from Troop A, 1st
Squadron, 10th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, surround Staff Sgt. Michell Caldwell, scout, Troop A, 1-10
Cav, following his re-enlistment. Moments after he took the oath, he
was evacuated to Germany to treat gunshot wounds to both forearms
sustained on a combat patrol with the men earlier the same day. (U.S.
Army photo courtesy of 1-10 Cav.)

And here's the entire story:

Injuries Don't Deter Soldier's Committment

Written by 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd BCT, 4th ID

FOB FALCON, Iraq – A Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldier embodied
the true meaning of the warrior spirit and noncommissioned officer
leadership Tuesday after sustaining injuries during combat operations
in Hawh Rajab, a town in South Baghdad.

Staff Sgt. Michell Caldwell, scout, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with the help
of Soldiers from his Troop, re-enlisted hours after a gun battle and
moments before being airlifted to Germany for treatment of his wounds.

Caldwell was on patrol with his platoon when they surprised a group of
terrorists preparing to attack a nearby check point. The Soldiers came
under intense automatic weapons fire from both sides of the road at
ranges as close as five meters.

As the senior scout, Caldwell proceeded in re-directing his Soldiers to
engaging the source of the fire. During the battle, Caldwell was shot
through both forearms. He continued to fight through the ambush as the
platoon maintained suppressing fire, destroying many of the enemy
forces, and allowing Caldwell to be evacuated to FOB Falcon.

Later in the day, after he was transported by air to the 10th Combat
Support Hospital in Baghdad, Lt. Col. James Love, commander, 1-10 Cav,
Capt. Jon Bodenhamer, commander, Troop A, and members of his platoon
visited Caldwell following surgery. Though groggy from the anesthesia,
like all good scouts, he remained alert.

After relating the experience to Love, Caldwell simply said, “Sir, I
was supposed to re-enlist today. I want to re-enlist before I leave.”

The day before the patrol, Caldwell coordinated with the squadron re-enlistment NCO to sign up for another 6 years of service.

Soldiers from the 10th CSH jumped at the chance to help out a soldier
in need. Noting that this was his first re-enlistment in the intensive
care ward, Sgt. 1st Class Jason Koutsalas, career counselor, 10th CSH,
sprang into action and prepared the re-enlistment.

Later that evening, as doctors were preparing Caldwell to be loaded on
a stretcher and begin his journey out of Iraq, his commander, first
sergeant and platoon arrived. Members of the platoon hung the American
flag over his bed and propped Caldwell up.

Unable to raise his right arm due to multiple fractures, 1st Sgt. David
Yost signed the paperwork on Caldwell’s behalf and Bodenhamer
administered the oath as the platoon stood at attention before him.

Moments later, Caldwell was on his way, first to Germany and later the
U.S., for surgery and rehabilitation. Though he will likely not re-join
the unit in Iraq, doctors said he should be fine with a couple of
operations and a few weeks of physical therapy.

“I am proud to have been able to make Staff Sgt. Caldwell’s
re-enlistment possible,” said Koutsalas. “It is all about taking care
of Soldiers.”

Without question, this was an occasion that no one in Apache Troop will
ever forget, said Bodenhamer. A happy ending to a difficult day in Iraq
– a great soldier on his way home, with the promise of recovery,
re-enlisted to continue his service to the nation and his well-deserved
bonus in his pocket.

Comments

Amazing Re-Enlistment

Two stories of committment in a row. First, Major Walsh (previous post) and now SSG Caldwell.

Injuries Don't Deter Soldier's Committment

Written by 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd BCT, 4th ID<...>Caldwell was on patrol with his platoon when they surprised a group of
terrorists preparing to attack a nearby check point. The Soldiers came
under intense automatic weapons fire from both sides of the road at
ranges as close as five meters.

As the senior scout, Caldwell proceeded in re-directing his Soldiers to
engaging the source of the fire. During the battle, Caldwell was shot
through both forearms. He continued to fight through the ambush as the
platoon maintained suppressing fire, destroying many of the enemy
forces, and allowing Caldwell to be evacuated to FOB Falcon.

Later in the day, after he was transported by air to the 10th Combat
Support Hospital in Baghdad, Lt. Col. James Love, commander, 1-10 Cav,
Capt. Jon Bodenhamer, commander, Troop A, and members of his platoon
visited Caldwell following surgery. Though groggy from the anesthesia,
like all good scouts, he remained alert.

After relating the experience to Love, Caldwell simply said, “Sir, I
was supposed to re-enlist today. I want to re-enlist before I leave.”...

This is pretty damn amazing - file under "Where Do We Find Such Men?" I'll post the whole the story of SSG Caldwell in the Extended Section:

10TH COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL, Baghdad--Soldiers from Troop A, 1st
Squadron, 10th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, surround Staff Sgt. Michell Caldwell, scout, Troop A, 1-10
Cav, following his re-enlistment. Moments after he took the oath, he
was evacuated to Germany to treat gunshot wounds to both forearms
sustained on a combat patrol with the men earlier the same day. (U.S.
Army photo courtesy of 1-10 Cav.)

Search

The Authors

Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, "Blackfive" started this blog upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. Email: blackfive AT gmail DOT com

Instapinch
Bill Paisley, otherwise known as Pinch, is a 22 year (ongoing) active and
reserve naval aviator. He blogs over at www.instapinch.com on a veritable
cornucopia of various and sundry items and will bring a tactical naval
aviator's perspective to Blackfive. Readers be warned: any comments of or
about the F-14 Tomcat will be reverential and spoken in low, hushed tones.
Email: wpaisley AT comcast DOT net

Mr. Wolf has over 26 years in the Army, Army NG, and USAR. He’s Airborne with 5 years as an NCO, before becoming an officer. Mr. Wolf has had 4 company commands. Signal Corp is his basic branch, and Public Affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in Kuwait and Iraq, in Intel, PA, and senior staff of MNF-I. Mr. Wolf is now an IT executive. He is currently working on a book on media and the Iraq war. Functional gearhead.

In Iraq, he received the moniker of Mr. Wolf after the Harvey Kietel character in Pulp Fiction, when "challenges" arose, they called on Mr. Wolf...
Email: TheDOTMrDOTWolfAT gmail DOT com

Deebow is a Staff Sergeant and a Military Police Squad Leader in the Army National Guard. In a previous life, he served in the US Navy. He has over 19 years of experience in both the Maritime and Land Warfare; including deployments to Southwest Asia, Thailand, the South Pacific, South America and Egypt. He has served as a Military Police Team Leader and Protective Services Team Leader and he has served on assignments with the US State Department, US Air Force Security Police, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He recently spent time in Afghanistan working with, training and fighting alongside Afghan Soldiers and is now focused on putting his 4 year Political Science degree to work by writing about foreign policy, military security policy and politics.

McQ has 28 years active and reserve service. Retired. Infantry officer. Airborne and Ranger. Consider my 3 years with the 82nd as the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. Interests include military issues and policy and veteran's affairs.
Email: mcq51 -at - bellsouth -dot- net

Tantor is a former USAF navigator/weapon system officer (WSO) in F-4E Phantoms who served in the US, Asia, and Europe. He is now a curmudgeonly computer geek in Washington, DC, picking the taxpayers pocket. His avocations are current events, aviation, history, and conservative politics.

Twenty-three years of Active and Reserve service in the US Army in SF (18B), Infantry and SOF Signal jobs with operational deployments to Bosnia and Africa. Since retiring he's worked as Senior Defense Analyst on SOF and Irregular Warfare projects and currently ensconced in the emerging world of Cyberspace.

The Authors Emeritus

Major Pain --
A Marine who began his blog in Iraq and reflects back on what he learned there and in Afghanistan. To the point opinions, ideas and thoughts on military, political and the media from One Marine’s View.Email: onemarinesview AT yahoo DOT com

Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.

Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.

COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.